F1 News: Romain Grosjean in emotional reunion after horror crash

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Romain Grosjean in emotional reunion after horror F1 crash

Romain Grosjean left F1 after a scary incident at the 2020 Bahrain Grand Prix

Kerry Violet F1 News Editor

F1 editor and journalist covering motorsport since 2024.

Monday 12 January 2026 10:55

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Ex-F1 star Romain Grosjean has been reunited with the helmet that helped save his life during his horror crash on the opening lap of the 2020 Bahrain Grand Prix.

The Frenchman drove for Haas at the time of one of the most dramatic incidents in the sport's modern history, which saw his VF-20 hurtle into the barriers at almost 120 mph.

The car instantly burst into flames and the fire engulfed the Haas F1 car with Grosjean still sat at the wheel.

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Thankfully, Grosjean managed to escape with only minor burns in a miraculous example of the importance of F1's modern safety standards.

The 39-year-old has now shared new pictures of what is left of the helmet he was wearing at the time of the incident.

Earlier last year, Grosjean revealed just how important his F1 helmet had been in saving his life that day, saying: “I had to break the headrest, punching it with my helmet and then I eventually managed to get my helmet through and stand up in the seat.

"I realised my left foot was stuck into the chassis and I pulled as hard as I could on my left leg. My shoe stayed in the chassis but my foot came loose so I was free to exit the car."

Grosjean shares thought-provoking snap of last F1 helmet

Though Grosjean's 2020 crash could have resulted in tragic consequences, it did mark the final grand prix of his career.

The Frenchman only returned to the cockpit of an F1 car last November, where he was handed the opportunity by his former team to pilot a Haas VF-23 at Mugello for a Testing of Previous Cars (TPC) event five years on from his fiery crash.

Now, in a post on his official Instagram account, Grosjean has also shared a picture of him holding his damaged headgear, writing: "Five years after November 29 2020, I got reunited with my race helmet.

"I didn’t know if I was ready to see it but my kids really wanted to understand how I got so well protected in the fire and what did happen that night. I’ll forever be grateful to @bellracinghq and @alpinestars for protecting me so well in that moment.

"Life goes and we forget, but that reminds me how much we should make the most of our lives every day #thephoenix."

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F1 Haas Bahrain Grand Prix Romain Grosjean